4 Ideas to Crank Up Your Creativity

We could all stand to be a bit more creative in our professional lives, and in a recent article for Fast Company, Bruce Nussbaum, the author of "Creative Intelligence," shares four ideas to do so.

Form a group of creative people. Who in your circle do you trust enough to collaborate with? Who boosts your creativity and efficiency with their energy and ideas? Identify those individuals and find ways to work with them or even pick their brain on a regular basis.

Belong to a pivot circle. Nussbaum calls these pivot circles "wanderers," or "people (or smart crowds) experienced enough to screen new ideas, pick those likely to succeed, and provide the resources to try them out." Essentially, pivot circles transform dreams and ideas into reality.

Audit your creativity. "What do you really know that might be of value?" asks Nussbaum. By taking a closer, introspective look at your own strengths and insights — and those of your coworkers — you can often isolate innovative ideas and insights.

Make a map. Nussbaum recommends keeping a creativity journal in which you map out your activities, where you get your best ideas, and the individuals with whom you find yourself most creative.